Why Even Loving Couples Fight on Vacation
You love each other. You were excited for this trip. So why are you arguing in the rental car about the GPS voice?
Vacation was supposed to bring you closer. Instead, you’re mildly irritated before you’ve even checked in. Somewhere between baggage claim and “I thought you said turn left,” you find yourself wondering, What is wrong with us?
If you’ve ever fought on vacation and worried your relationship is secretly unraveling over sunscreen and restaurant reservations, let me reassure you: nothing is wrong. This is normal. This is psychological. And most importantly, this is predictable.
The Myth of the Perfect Trip (& Why We Keep Chasing It)
Look—I get it. We don’t pull travel inspiration out of thin air. We get it from beautifully curated sources: travel books, blogs, journalists, influencers, hotel marketing, and, of course, social media. What we’re shown is the highlight-reel version of a trip. Perfect weather. Lovely accommodations. On-time flights. Smiling families. Children who appear to have never argued over snacks or legroom.
But here’s the reality: that version of travel isn’t real life. It’s an idealized, carefully edited simulation of it. Real trips include rainy days, traffic jams, delayed or canceled flights, closed attractions, and very ordinary, very human travel companions.
Why Some Trips Feel Healing — and Others Leave You Feeling Exhausted
Ever get back from a trip and feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? Guilty — and it took me years of traveling to understand why.
Ultimate Summer Vacation Packing List for Every Traveler
Summer travel has taught me one consistent lesson: the best trips aren’t the ones with the most stuff—they’re the ones packed with intention.
Choosing Travel Based on Your Emotional Season
How to plan trips that support how you actually feel—not how you think you should feel
We tend to plan travel around logistics: time off, flight prices, school calendars, bucket lists. What we rarely ask—before clicking “book now”—is a much simpler question:
How am I actually feeling right now?
What Travel Does for Your Nervous System
As a clinical psychologist, I’m careful with language around “healing” and “therapy.” Travel is not therapy. It doesn’t replace mental health treatment, and it doesn’t magically resolve anxiety, burnout, or emotional pain.
And yet—anyone who has ever exhaled a little deeper the moment they arrived somewhere new knows there’s something real happening.
Ultimate Summer Packing List for Families Traveling With Teenagers
If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s pack for family travel — especially in the summer. We’ve been traveling with our kids for over 20 years, through just about every environment you can imagine. From sun-soaked beaches and state parks to theme parks, Roman ruins, volcanic landscapes, and the snowy Alps. From glaciers in Alaska to cobblestone cities in Europe. From road trips to cruises to flights that started before sunrise and ended well past bedtime.
Along the way, we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) what actually gets worn, what never leaves the suitcase, and what can make or break a trip when you’re traveling with teenagers. Packing isn’t about having more — it’s about having the right things.
This is our Ultimate Summer Packing List for Families Traveling With Teenagers — built from real trips, real kids, real weather, and real walking-heavy days. It’s designed to work whether you’re heading to the beach, a big city, a national park, a theme park, or somewhere in between.
The Best Places to Spend New Year’s With Teenagers (That They’ll Actually Love)
Traveling with teenagers isn’t just different from traveling with little kids — it’s an entirely different season of family life. Our daughter Callan is now 21, our son Jake is 19, and Max is 16, and somewhere along the way we realized that the trips that worked beautifully when they were younger no longer fit who they are now.
They want independence, adrenaline, food that feels intentional, and experiences that don’t feel designed for kids. They want late nights — but not forced ones. Energy — but with an exit plan. And when it comes to New Year’s Eve, they want it to feel like a real celebration, not something they’re tagging along to.
Over the years, five destinations have consistently risen to the top for us. Not because they’re flashy, but because they allow New Year’s Eve — and the days around it — to unfold naturally with teenagers and young adults.
Traveling the Week of Christmas: What Families Really Want to Know (From a Family Who’s Done It)
Traveling during the week of Christmas can feel intimidating. Airports are crowded, prices can be higher, and traditions look a little different. But for our family, Christmas travel has become one of our favorite ways to celebrate the season.
We’ve learned that the secret is choosing destinations that fully embrace the holidays and offer a mix of adventure, charm, and downtime.
When to Visit the Christmas Markets in France (and What I’d Do Differently Next Time)
If you’ve ever fallen down a Christmas market rabbit hole on Pinterest or Instagram, you already know: France in December looks like something straight out of a snow globe. Twinkling lights, garlands wrapped around half-timbered buildings, mulled wine steaming in ceramic mugs, and enough ornaments to convince you that yes, you absolutely do need another one.
🎄✨ Our Christmas Tree of Memories (And Why You Should Start One Too)
Before Bryan and I ever had kids, we started collecting ornaments from every destination we visited. We even picked up ornaments for big milestones — our wedding anniversary, our first home, the birth of each baby. (Nothing says “new parents” like a tiny glass onesie dangling from a branch.)
But once the kids came along? The ornament collection became a full-blown scavenger hunt in every new city. The kids got to help choose something that embraced the spirit of that trip — which is how we once came home with a London phone booth, a Venetian mask, and a tiny moose wearing sunglasses.
Now that our kids are teenagers and young adults, we have so many ornaments and so many stories — and Christmas decorating has turned into a full-on storytelling event. Here’s how it works: We each grab an ornament, one at a time, and share a memory from that trip before hanging it on the tree. It’s like speed-dating our own travel history.
And the stories? They do not disappoint.
Launching The Donovan5 Travel Blog: Real-Life Family Adventures & What to Expect
Well, it finally happened. After years of friends and family saying, “You really should start a travel blog!”… I caved.
So here we are — a brand-new adventure in storytelling, snacks, and family travel!
For nearly two decades, our crew of five has explored the world together — from those early years of diaper bags and strollers to the current teen-travel era of eye rolls and endless playlists. Every trip brings new lessons, laughs, and (let’s be honest) at least one forgotten charger.
This blog was born out of years of requests for our itineraries, travel hacks, and kid-tested survival tips. My goal? To share everything we’ve learned about making travel with kids fun, affordable, and actually doable.
When in Hawaii: How to Be a Respectful Guest (and Not “That Tourist”)
There’s something magical about Hawaii. Maybe it’s the soft strum of a ukulele in the distance, the scent of plumeria in the air, or the way the ocean seems to whisper, “Relax, you’re on island time now.”
But here’s the thing: paradise works best when everyone plays nice.
As visitors, we’re not just tourists — we’re guests in someone’s home. And just like you’d teach your kids to wipe their feet before coming inside, there are a few ways we can all show respect to the land, the people, and the culture that make Hawaii so special.
Traveling Sustainably in O’ahu with Kids: Our Family’s Eco-Friendly Adventure
Let’s be honest: sustainable travel sounds lovely in theory — but when you’re juggling three kids under six, it can feel about as realistic as meditating on the plane. (Spoiler: I tried. It lasted two minutes, right until someone’s bag of pretzels went flying.)
But here’s the truth — traveling more sustainably with little ones is possible, and surprisingly, it actually made our trip to Oʻahu calmer, richer, and more connected. Here’s how we did it — what worked, what didn’t, and how the kids accidentally became tiny eco-warriors along the way.
Which Hawaiian Island is Best for Families? Why We Chose O’ahu (And Loved Every Minute)
So, you’ve decided to take your family to Hawaii — cue the ukulele music and the logistics headache. Which island should you pick? Each has beaches, palm trees, and shave ice, but when you’re traveling with three kids, not all tropical paradises are created equal.
We did the research (and lived to tell the tale). Here’s your crash course on the Big Four — Big Island, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu — and why our crew of five ultimately landed on Oʻahu.
How to Find Cheap Flights to O’ahu (and Save Once You’re There)
Let’s face it: “Hawaii vacation” and “budget-friendly” don’t usually appear in the same sentence — especially when you’re flying a family of five halfway across the Pacific. But with a little planning (and a lot of coffee), we’ve learned how to time our trips so that paradise doesn’t require a second mortgage.
Whether you’re planning your first family trip or your fifth island adventure, here’s everything you need to know about finding affordable flights to Oʻahu, plus some insider tips for saving once you’re there.
When Your Kids Teach You About History: Visiting Pearl Harbor as a Family
I thought I was taking my kids to Pearl Harbor to teach them history. Turns out, they were teaching me.
Hawaii with Littles: What to Pack (and What to Leave Behind)
Alright, moms (and dads) — let’s get real for a minute. We all know how this goes: you’ve scoured the internet for the best flights, booked family-friendly hotels, snagged a rental car deal, mapped out kid-approved activities (and their costs), and even set reminders to book excursions that open 48 hours in advance. You’ve arranged dog-sitting, lawn care, and mail holds. And if you’re anything like me, it’s all neatly organized in a spreadsheet that would make NASA jealous.
Anniversary Trip Interrupted: How O’ahu Proved We Could Travel the World with Kids
In 2010, Bryan and I hit our 10-year wedding anniversary and decided we were due for a romantic getaway. I was picturing gondola rides in Venice, sipping Chianti in Tuscany, and maybe even reenacting a few scenes from Under the Tuscan Sun.
Then reality tapped me on the shoulder - loudly.
We had three kids: ages five, four, and one. The only thing we’d be “sipping” was apply juice from a sippy cup. Suddenly, those dreams of Italian romance looked a little more like Under the Capri Sun.
O’ahu with Kids: Why This Hawaiian Island is Perfect for Families
There are vacations… and then there’s Oahu. The moment we stepped off the plane and were “lei’d” upon arrival (yes, we giggled too), we knew we’d landed somewhere special. Between the soft trade winds, turquoise water, and the faint smell of sunscreen and pineapple in the air, it’s impossible not to slip instantly into island mode.